Formotion: billet bolt-on timepieces for motorcycles

October 5, 2007 Tired of working out dodgy ways to attach a clock you can read while you’re riding your motorcycle? Formotion has released a range of great-looking and affordable bolt-on clocks and thermometers to fit to any bike.

Motorcycles – particularly cruisers – are marketed as ‘freedom machines,’ an escape from the daily grind and a life of responsibility. Perhaps this is why manufacturers feel that practical additions such as clocks are unwanted intrusions while you’re riding – bikers care not how early or late they may be, time is for lesser mortals to fret about.

Sadly, not all of us are so windswept and carefree – and for daily riders who commute on their bikes, knowing the time can mean everything from figuring out how hard to ride to make it to work on time, to knowing when a variable school zone speed limit is in effect.

Formotion products have taken the unique needs of motorcyclists into consideration when coming up with their range of different motorcycle clocks. For starters, there’s a bunch of different mounts to suit all sorts of applications – from 3M stick-ons to bolt-ons to P-clamps, solid rings and C-mounts that clamp straight to a standard-diameter handlebar.

Secondly, they’re all vibration-tested to make sure they’re able to withstand life on the road. Naturally they’re completely waterproof. And there’s the 4-year battery, and the optional glow-in-the-dark face for 24-hour timekeeping.

Most of all though, the company seems to realize the value riders place in the appearance of their bikes – and having had a good look at these beautifully crafted stainless steel and billet items up close at today’s Australian Motorcycle Expo, I can confirm that they absolutely look the business, blending in with the design of many bikes in an understated and classy way.

There’s quite a few different styles to choose from, including a few matching temperature gauges, at the Formotion website. Prices range from around US$25 to US$125 for some of the shinier options. ClockAbout distribute the products in the Australian/NZ region and a search page for US dealers can be found here.

Loz has been one of Gizmag's most versatile contributors since 2007. Joining the team as a motorcycle specialist, he has since covered everything from medical and military technology to aeronautics, music gear and historical artefacts. Since 2010 he's branched out into photography, video and audio production, and he remains the only Gizmag contributor willing to put his name to a sex toy review. A singer by night, he's often on the road with his a cappella band Suade.